On Thursday June 26th, people will take to the streets, the internet, the airwaves, and public plazas in more than 80 cities around the world to protest harmful drug laws at the root of violence and mass incarceration.

The campaign was organized by a coalition of NGOs calling on governments to put an end to the expensive and counter-productive war on drugs. According to estimates, the drug war costs in excess of $100 billion annually to enforce and has failed to diminish drug markets or reduce use.

These events are a counterpunch to the United Nation’s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The United Nation’s anti-drug day gives rise to violent crackdowns and to promote harsh punishment in many countries, like China, which has recently announced the execution of 20 drug offenders.